68 years ago today, Prince Juan Carlos killed his younger brother – Document

68 years ago today, 29 March 1956, the later King Juan Carlos of Spain shot his younger brother Alfonso who was only 14 years old.

It was a shot…

Easter 1956 was a nightmare for the Spanish royal family. On Maundy Thursday 1956, it shot the then 18-year-old Juan Carlos and killed his four-year-younger brother Alfonso de Borbon.

There are several versions of what happened. The Spanish Embassy in Lisbon issued the following official statement:

– While His Highness Infant Alfonso was cleaning a revolver on the evening of March 29 together with his brother, a shot went off that hit him in the forehead and killed him. The accident happened on March 29 at 20.30 after the service on Maundy Thursday where he had received communion.

In her autobiography, the Countess of Barcelona neither denies nor confirms that Juan was holding the gun, but she contradicts the official account. She allegedly told her tailor, Josefina Carolo, that Juan Carlos jokingly aimed at his younger brother and pulled the trigger, not realizing the gun was loaded.

The Italian press wrote that Juan Carlos was holding the gun and had his finger on the trigger when the shot went off.

Swear it wasn’t on purpose

Alfonso was the youngest child and favorite son of Don Juan Carlos de Borbon and Princess Maria de las Mercedes and was called Alfonsito by family and friends. He was only 14 years old.

The shot is said to have been fired when Juan Carlos was home on Easter break from the military academy and was cleaning a gun he is said to have been given by dictator Francisco Franco. The shot hit young Alfonsito in the head and he died instantly.

No investigation

Antonio Eraso, a former childhood friend of King Juan Carlos, says in an HBO documentary about the incident:

– I was there when it happened, but in another room. We all ran when we heard the shot. The boy’s father, Count Juan of Barcelona, ​​demanded that Juan Carlos swear that he had not done it on purpose. It was not easy for a 17-18 year old boy.

No police investigation was launched and no autopsy was carried out either – all on the orders of the boy’s father, Count Juan.

Exile in Portugal

The Spanish royal family lived while Francisco Franco was in power in Spain, in exile at Villa Giralda near Cascais in Portugal.

After a referendum in 1947, Spain reinstated the monarchy, but General Franco was to remain in power for life. He was given the authority to choose the heir to the throne and chose – to Count Juan’s great surprise – Juan Carlos.

In the newspapers from that time, the most important part of the incident is omitted: It was Juan Carols who caused his brother’s death. Rumors spread, but this was not confirmed until many years had passed after Juan Carlos had been crowned king of Spain in 1975.

The body moved to Madrid

The funeral of Alfonso was held two days after he was killed. He was buried in the municipal cemetery of Cascais in Portugal. In October 1992, the body was moved to El Escorial near Madrid.

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